information and transform it for new purposes My greatest teachers had no idea they were teaching me at all and fortunately many of them are around me everyday Becoming the model of creativity ensures it is fostered and valued The Work It matters Packets a word we should eliminate from education of worksheets are not beneficial to any workplace skill or policy The work must be worth doing Go beyond the standard Connect standards in unique and creative ways and have students connect standards in ways that are innovative When students learn at the top of end of the student expectation there is not a state test in the world that can hold them back We will let the policymakers debate the future and work hard to create schools that thrive in producing creative workers prepared for the workforce of tomorrow Lead Learn and Engage Region 17 Leadership Conference August 5 and 6 2014 Register for this two day conference that will be keynoted by Dr John Draper http www johndraper org Welcome Page html Register for this event http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14627 Dr Draper uses humor and fascinating research to promote a postive image of the schools that we love and promote We will have presentations on leadership and breakout session to help leaders prepare for the 2014 2015 school year Understanding Accountability 2014 June 2 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14580 School Safety Summit June 3 and 4 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14363 Motion Leadership Michael Fullan s Leadership June 20 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14581 Social Media PLNs Blogging and Branding June 27 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14583 View or Post a Comment 0 The Season is Long Mar 09 2014 09 01 00 pm It is March and that means college basketball is the center of the sports world for a month or so Northwestern Mutual has recently put out some commercials using high profile basketball coaches on the issue of plannig for success These clips are designed to transcend sports and discuss issues like goal setting teamwork and the growth issues associated with quality leadership and getting your vision to come to life Several things resonated with me in this particular spot but Mike Brey s comment about the difficulty of holding the team together to chase a goal because the season is so long certainly is congruent with the challenges school leaders face School s essentially have a long season too and we are in the later part of the 3rd quarter Retaining the passion and enthusiasm of August throughout the whole season is ultimately a challenge every leader faces in this world we call school These highly successful coaches offer some great insight into how to create success when the season is long Goal Setting Goals bring focus and give us something to hit

is that symbol to this generation 44 of college graduates now move HOME after graduation In 1955 Boomers were married between 22 24 Today marriage does not generally occur until 27 29 It is taking longer for this generation to move into what we would see as adulthood Time is more valuable than compensation to GenY and Gen Web The Boomer valued compensation more than anything Some of this data was not shocking at all if you simply look around In some schools you can roam the halls and literally see 5 generations of people working and learning together This is bound to create conflict if people do not understand that generations ultimately desire the same things but the tools they use are different Perhaps the greatest point Preston made was the lesson we can learn from the video game industry It is foolish to argue this generation of student cannot pay attention they all are ADHD and cannot sit still The fact is they sit for hours playing Call of Duty and never move This generation craves feedback They also like to learn quickly Video games provide immediate feedback on quality and also allow you to correct mistakes This generation will learn as other before them but we really need to increase the amount of feedback they recieve and ensure they fail Failure however cannot be so punitive that it removes hope Call of Duty never removes hope The reset button is always there and another chance to succeed present State Assessment Update Shannon Housson Texas Education Agency The Division of Performance Reporting at the Texas Education Agency TEA has released a new online reporting system the Texas Performance Reporting System TPRS that provides additional performance results at the school district region and state levels The 2012 13 TPRS website is available at http ritter tea state tx us perfreport tprs 2013 TEA s goal is to have final decisions by Commissioner on Accountability by end of March Index 1 Student Performance No change to the Index Construction in terms of target calculation Phase In 1 Level II will be the standard used for Index 1 Adding in ELL in 2 nd and 3 rd using the ELL Progress Measure in some capacity ATAC proposed a 55 target for this Index Index 2 Student Progress Dropping 10 tests has a ripple effect on all of Index 2 HS only growth measure could be Algebra 1 no progress will be available in EOC English due to change in the Assessment ATAC has proposed no Index 2 for high schools in 2014 Set Index 2 targets at or about the 5 th percentile by campus type as determined by the 2013 2014 student progress measure This recommendation is consistent with the method used in 2013 Index 3 Closing the Achievement Gap Based on last year s economically disadvantaged and also last year s lowest performing race ethnicity in reading and math Index 3 will look like Index 2 in terms of target Adding Level III into the index will make the index target go down ATAC reccomendation is to set targets at the 5th percentile given modeling data for this is difficult Index 4 Postsecondary Readiness Index 4 will add 2 more indicators A Postsecondary Readiness measure and STAAR Final Level II will be added Elemenatary and Middle School Campuses will get Index 4 with a lower target because they will only have one indicator This is a true index in that it requires weighting the 4 indicators below The ATAC proposed weights are below Postsecondary Readiness 15 STAAR Final Level II 35 Graduation Rate 35 RHD DHD 15 PLEASE REMEMBER Commissioner must approve all recommendations made by ATAC and APAC TEA is waiting for a final decision from the USDE on the double testing waiver described in the November 6 2013 correspondence to the department TEA will inform all districts about testing policies and use of these results in 2014 accountability as soon as possible following receipt of USDE s decision How it is used in Accountability 2014 is still a decision What is the high school math requirement for student who has met requirement in Middle School Ensuring Parents Are in the Know Edgewood ISD Staff HB5 can be complex and because of radical changes to graduation planning it will be imperative to let parents know about their child s future Engaging parents will be very important for all school districts Social Media is the fastest growing method to contact parents Numbers and addresses may change but facebook and twitter do not TAMS During parent or open house do a TAMS training to teach parents to access STAAR data online Collect college inventory data on students and share it with parents in middle school Encourage parents to talk to CTE teachers about their classes and what to expect Ultimately we convey what we value by what we do Parents need to see public education make a concerted effort to reach out and inform them STAAR Progress Measure and Index 2 TEA Accountability and Assessment Staff New for 2014 Students who skip grade levels will still recieve a STAAR Progress Measure in 2014 Index 2 cannot be used in High Schools this year Remember that the calculation uses progress to STAAR Final Level II not the phase in standard for the current year ELL progress measure will be used and more info is forthcoming on this measure An Interim Look at Assessment and Accountability Maria Whitsett Dee Carney Lynn Moak and Curtis Culwell Moak Casey and Associates Combined English Assessments will take 5 hours We got about 44 00p new English I passers and about 35 000 new English II passers as a result of transition plan to new English assessments Phase in 1 extended through 2013 2014 and have heard TEA say it twice over the last two days Double test issue is still cloudy and waiver conditional Scores of middle schools will not count for hs if they take Algebra 1 HS will only get on grade level 9th grade level scores for their campus Above grade level students in grades 3 8 will not be double tested Rule on specific to Algebra I in middle school Final year of STAAR Modified administration SSI is back in full effect and there will be a new manual soon This applies to STAAR L in mathematics and reading EOC failers must be given accelerated instruction prior to next adminstration of the test New THECB rules related to Texas Success Initiative Limited phase in cut scores on the new TSIA All earlier tests Accuplacer Compass etc eliminated for TSI purposes Same criteria as before on the SAT and or ACT Performance at Level 2 on English III and or Algebra EOC test when available College Prep Course for whose EOC test scores have not met college readiness standards who coursewok college entrance exam scores or TSI score indicate lack of readiness for entry level 9 of campuses were Improvement Required We have become more sophistated in determing problem areas AND we need to be more sophisticated at finding the great teachers STAAR Reading Connecting Assessment and Instruction TEA ELA and Reading Staff Grade 8 reading is 91 cumulative Accelerated Instruction when done properly works Key is doing that kind of intervention before the first assessment Said we will stay at Phase In I this year The final phase in numbers are not as pleasant NAEP scores in Texas are below the national average Students must be able to apply academic vocabulary associated with literary and informational reading Reading language has to be the precise language Make connections within and across texts and identify text evidence to support ideas Can students recognize the tools an author uses to craft a piece and how these affect meaning At the high school they are struggling using text evidence to support their own original thinking Cannot stress how important the academic vocabulary is in this process Words like commonplace assertion and imagery Picture of slide shown this morning that demonstrates the importace of connections Cannot teach this with worksheets It all demands diaglogue If you want a grade then GRADE the dialogue View or Post a Comment 0 HB5 Creates Some Absolutes Feb 08 2014 03 59 00 pm HB5 has brought interesting changes to the educational landscape in Texas This bill has been touted largely as a bill that decreases standardized testing in our schools and it did make dent in the number of End of Course exams at the high school level However HB5 will dramatically change process coursework hiring and reporting for our districts and campuses and create some new absolutes for leaders in our schools Data Collection For Self Reporting and Accountability Perhaps the most interesting part of HB5 is the requirement for schools to rate themselves on 9 criteria from Wellness to Fine Arts Let s make this a great opportunity to tell the wonderful stories found within our schools Schools must also evaluate the quality of their Accelerated Instruction which is required by law Data collection becomes crucial in this process HB5 may demand increased sophistication in the RTI world and really cause all to look at how effective our interventions are for students who are struggling We have sessions you can see below that will help districts deal with these issues Engaging Parents The simple number of graduation plans alone demands we keep parents as informed as possible throughout this process There is a great deal of complexity for counselors and administrators and this will create confusion for parents We will have sessions on engaging parents with social media and other means Parent Involvement has always been a part of Title I NCLB Initiatives and HB5 will ramp this up Districts will need ways to keep parents informed Change and Impact Future Orientation in Students HB5 is about the future not the present Success in the end will be about the number of students who are successful in a postsecondary world Effective implementation will take vision relentless pursuit of rigor for every student and an assurance that Career Technical Education courses are taught in sophisticated ways create ready students We look forward to seeing you on Thursday If cannot come check out the materials and handouts Great things are about to happen because in Region 17 they always do Agenda for the Day HB5 LiveBinder Get This HB5 Infographic Thank you Heather Blount 9 00 Welcome in the Main Hall Subscribe to our listservs http listserv esc17 net scripts wa exe INDEX HB5 LiveBinder 9 35 to 10 30 Breakout Session Click on Session Title for Handouts If Provided Appropriate Accelerated Instruction Jennifer Pierce and Michelle Hilton Main Hall Repeated Session The Student Success Initiative and House Bill 5 require accelerated instruction for students who do not pass a state assessment This session will focus on how the leader can support a systematic change to ensure all student progress and success We will look at the components of one successful transformational model and how the leader can support each component on their campus Accelerated Instruction Flyer Google Docs for Leaders Dr Nelson Coulter and Dr Jerrod Pickering PC Labs Repeated Session This session will show leaders how to use Google Docs to access shared documents from the South Plains Transformational Collaborative and also how to use Google Docs to increase campus efficiency Using SAT and ACT Data Bonnie Thompson and Kim Spicer Lecture Hall There are many strategies on how to prepare students for the ACT and SAT tests Find out what programs Frenship ISD has implemented and how they are using the data to influence instruction P 20 Council Resources Janie Ramirez Neely Room The P 20 Council had many resources to share for College Readiness which is fundamental to HB5 implementation Ms Ramirez has wonderful resources to help campuses increase postsecondary readiness Social Media in Our Schools Tori Mitchell Douglas Room One of HB5 s challenges will be the necessity of increased communication with parents and stakeholders Maximize the use of social media and online tools in communicating with parents and community and getting them involved in the learning experiences of their children 10 45 to 11 30 Breakout Sessions Appropriate Accelerated Instruction Jennifer Pierce and Michelle Hilton Main Hall Repeated Session The Student Success Initiative and House Bill 5 require accelerated instruction for students who do not pass a state assessment This session will focus on how the leader can support a systematic change to ensure all student progress and success We will look at the components of one successful transformational model and how the leader can support each component on their campus Accelerated Instruction Flyer Google Docs for Leaders Dr Nelson Coulter and Dr Jerrod Pickering PC Labs Repeated Session This session will show leaders how to use Google Docs to access shared documents from the South Plains Transformational Collaborative and also how to use Google Docs to increase campus efficiency Career Exploration Grades Pre K 8 Heather Blount Lecture Hall This presentation will provide information regarding the importance of career exploration in grades K 8 as it relates to House Bill 5 Resources to assist students and teachers in the process of career exploration will be shared and reviewed http prezi com ahwbfcnxm2zg career exploration k 8 EOC Roundtable for Leaders Jenny Gaona Greg Reeves Michelle Sedberry Amador Vasquez Neely Room Come for the latest on End of Course Assessments as our Specialists discuss the End oCourse issues leaders will be dealing with from an instructional perspective and how they can maximize teacher performance Content area specialists will make brief presentation followed by time for questions and answers http www esc17 net users 0208 Gaona Spring 20Flyer 20Social 20Studies pdf http www esc17 net users 0208 Jerard Spring 20Flier pdf http www esc17 net users 0208 Greg ELA 20Spring2014 20Flier pdf http www esc17 net users 0208 Michelle 20Sedberry Spring 202014 20Flyer pdf http www esc17 net users 0208 Karen 20Marshall Math 20Flyer 20Spring 202014 pdf Transition Issues SPED and HB5 Laura Skeen and Liz Parks Douglas Room Repeated Session This session will look at the new requirements for secondary transition services HB5 requirements and graduation options for students with disabilities 11 30 to 12 30 Lunch in the Main Hall New Principal Appraisal System and TEKS Resource Update 12 35 to 1 20 Breakout Sessions Grad Planning and Endorsements Making the Connections Heather Blount and Shauna Lane Main Hall Repeated Session The SBOE has reviewing and finalizing the new graduation plans and endorsements outlined in House Bill 5 Shauna Lane and Heather Blount will review the graduation plan requirements focusing on endorsements and CTE planning Resources for helping to make the connection for students for endorsement planning and Personal Graduation Plans will be made available CTE Flyer On Track and Project Share Judy Gore PC Labs 302 304 OnTRACK courses are offered through Project Share and are designed for STAAR supplement and remediation Current OnTRACK courses offered are Algebra I Algebra II Geometry 8th Math Biology Chemistry Physics 8th Grade Science World History US History World Geography 8th Grade Social Studies English I English II English III and 8 th Grade English Accountability 2014 and Beyond Ty Duncan Lecture Hall Repeated Session The Commissioner spoke of changes to the Accountability System in 2014 at TASA Midwinter a few weeks ago This session will update the latest changes and explore what 2014 will look like as well as the instructional connections that go with the Index System Understanding Accountability 2014 June 2 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14580 Community and Student Self Evaluation Jim Waller Dr Kenny Border Tori Mitchell and Karen Perry Neely Room Repeated Session HB5 demands districts and campuses rate themselves on 9 defined criteria and report that rating to the Texas Education Agency via PEIMS This session will demonstrate templates and rubrics created by various groups including our own regional advisory group They will also demonstrate how to submit via PEIMS http tasanet org domain 124 Handout for PEIMS Upload Transition Issues SPED and HB5 Laura Skeen and Liz Parks Douglas Room Repeated Session This session will look at the new requirements for secondary transition services HB5 requirements and graduation options for students with disabilities 1 30 to 2 15 Breakout Sessions Grad Planning and Endorsements Making the Connections Heather Blount and Shauna Lane Main Hall Repeated Session The SBOE has reviewing and finalizing the new graduation plans and endorsements outlined in House Bill 5 Shauna Lane and Heather Blount will review the graduation plan requirements focusing on endorsements and CTE planning Resources for helping to make the connection for students for endorsement planning and Personal Graduation Plans will be made available Eduphoria HB 5 PGP New Views and Updates Judy Gore and Jennifer de Leon PC Labs 302 304 HB 5 PGP Template building useful views and new features to help provide teachers and leaders meet demands of HB5 and provide teachers with important data to impact indexes within accountability system Accountability 2014 and Beyond Ty Duncan Lecture Hall Repeated Session The Commissioner spoke of changes to the Accountability System in 2014 at TASA Midwinter a few weeks ago This session will update the latest changes and explore what 2014 will look like as well as the instructional connections that go with the Index System Understanding Accountability 2014 June 2 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 14580 Community and Student Self Evaluation Jim Waller Dr Kenny Border Tori Mitchell and Karen Perry Neely Room Repeated Session HB5 demands districts and campuses rate themselves on 9 defined criteria and report that rating to the Texas Education Agency via PEIMS This session will demonstrate templates and rubrics created by various groups including our own regional advisory group They will also demonstrate how to submit via PEIMS http tasanet org domain 124 Handout of PEIMS Upload Parent Involvement Toolkit Francisco Rodriguez Douglas

Network ITV KACE Help Desk Technology Planning Web Hosting This blog is maintained by Ty Duncan Coordinator Accountability and Compliance Services 806 281 5832 Like us on Facebook Follow InstructionalLe Instructional Leaders Routine Just Is Not That Much Fun Jan 11 2014 09 32 00 pm It is always a great week at ESC 17 but last week was especially refreshing from a personal and professional perspective Have you ever just set out to go about your normal routine and realized you have stumbled upon something wonderful Set off last week getting back into normal routine and realized when routine becomes normal it is time to find something else to do Started the week off of Holiday Break with a trip to Denver City in 5 degree weather and had privilege of watching our new Social Studies Specialist Jenny Gaona work with hungry teachers who really like teaching kids and want their students to be successful in everything Call her as I learned how great she is and how much she can help teachers Amazing stuff and that was just the first day on the job https www facebook com media set set a 701869776504186 1073741884 204792002878635 type 1 l 482568634d Drove out to Seagraves Elementary on Wednesday to work with teachers implementing Standard s Based Grading on another cold Wednesday morning Found myself engaged with teachers consumed with getting better and our dialogue was some of the best I have been a part of in 11 years at the Region 17 While there I went to watch a dear friend teach 8th grade English and was amazed at how his students understood the academic language around figurative language and informational texts Interesting thing is he was not that worried about that ole state test as just doing the right thing with enthusiasm appears to be working Thanks Heath Blackmon for the great stuff Stumbled on more greatness visiting Abernathy ISD Had the privilege of seeing their new facilities of which they should be really proud More importantly saw an enthusiasm from students and staff about learning and professionalism I am a Champion at Abernathy Elementary in the classroom of Denise Christopher Post by Region 17 Instructional Leaders https www facebook com media set set a 703318376359326 1073741887 204792002878635 type 1 l 1518bad5ea Tori Mitchell facilitated a training with Dr Camp from Lubbock Christian University on Music Expression I stepped in at the right time to see this little gem below People often say that motivation doesn t last Well neither does bathing that s why we recommend it daily Zig Ziglar The daily grind sometimes just causes you to put your head down and get the job done They say ruts are dangerous because you can get stuck in them and never get out Let us never be defeated Great things are happening Never expect the routine and I pray I never long for it People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing Dale Carnegie

Deaf Education Certification Low Incidence Disabilities Multicultural Diverse Learners Non Ed Community Based Support Services Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities PPCD Positive Behavioral Interventions Support Project Psychological Services Speech Language Pathology Transition Services Visual Impairment Blindness Technology Technology Services Distance Learning Email Services eRate Support Internet Access Internet Filtering Interactive TV Network ITV KACE Help Desk Technology Planning Web Hosting This blog is maintained by Ty Duncan Coordinator Accountability and Compliance Services 806 281 5832 Like us on Facebook Follow InstructionalLe Instructional Leaders Happy Holidays from Accountability and Compliance Dec 17 2013 08 36 00 pm View or Post a Comment 4 ESC 17 Accountability and Compliance Celebrating Great Work and Preparing for a Challenging Future Dec 07 2013 02 54 00 pm As this semester comes to a close and we approach a holiday break we took a look back on the work done since this school year began The infographic below demonstrates the work our staff has done with districts since August It has been very satisfying to serve clients and work with great districts who really want to serve students The future holds many challenges for all of us in the educational community We have places to go and legislative mandates to implement that will require leaders to continue impacting culture in a postive way as well as increasing the instructional sophistication of all educators HB5 We will continue to work to get districts information on this landmark legislation and work diligilently to be the leader in ensuring districts are in compliance with the intent of the bill Teacher Appraisal The ESEA Flexibility Waiver with USDE demands the implementation of a new appraisal system One of our challenges will be to effectively roll out this new system to ensure districts transition easily Accountability There will be

math teacher was Dick Lowrey Pinkie Lowrey s son Lowrey Field he carried a yardstick smacked his gum and always said we were the cream of the crop As a coach he knew just the right words to say to motivate us to be better He made learning fun and relevant He knew something about each one of us and I think he really liked us We weren t a bother there weren t too many of us we weren t too rowdy It was at Mackenzie Junior High when there were NINE HUNDRED students packing the halls He was very good at what he did and I have always loved him I am almost fifty and I almost cried when I saw him at the PCP Lowrey Field re naming I d say that was some impact Elizabeth Jackson Mrs White my second grade teacher was amazing We did station work almost daily and now I realize how much time she had to have been putting in each week to plan and set those up She had phonics and math stations and fun science stations and occasionally a non academic one like hair braiding on her mannequin heads She was way ahead of her time in small group instruction Every Friday someone s dad or a community member had to come to school and tell us about his job It was the early 70s and each day we started in a circle singing This Land is Your Land while she played some kind of harp like instrument For the longest time I thought that was our national anthem Even with all that the thing that made her the best was that we were HER kids and we always knew it Kim Clemmons Mrs Adair She was PASSIONATE about English I wasn t and going to her junior English class made me excited about learning I wanted to study and learn new vocabulary and I wanted to write I hated to read and just watching her love to read made me want to know what that was like She was not touchy feely but she was smart and PASSIONATE about teaching She created a short story unit that I thought was genious Her organization was masterful I felt more than prepared when I left her class Shauna Lane The best math teacher I know is my father who taught math in the 1970 s and early 1980 s He was one of the very first teachers on the South Plains who taught computer science to the students at Sudan High School He was told that he was crazy for introducing that contraption in to education because it was just a toy He knew better He built his own computer from a kit and taught himself about computer programming and computer science The first couple years he had a group of students who knew that he was right and now they all have careers in the computer industry My favorite social

dialogue educators really need on a daily basis from other colleagues should center on the standards they are teaching Certifications allow some to teach content they do not really know that well This inhibits the SE from really being taught at the proper depth Leaders really must take a hard look at teachers depth of content knowledge so they can differentiate as it is not really that optional in a value added world View or Post a Comment 0 Instructional Leaders Fall 2013 NCLB Accountability Core Content Student Support SPED and More Oct 06 2013 09 03 00 pm Instructional Leaders October 8 2013 Use esc17 to tweet important things you have learned Follow us instructionalle esc17counselors esc17ace esc17fyt Live information in your feed 9 00 Welcome Deanna Logan 9 05 Shauna Lane PACT Website 9 15 Tori Mitchell NCLB Update Fiscal Guidelines 9 20 Karen Perry TSDS Changes 9 25 Ty Duncan Accountability 9 30 10 20 Breakout Sessions Register for our Next Instructional Leaders Event on February 13 2014 http escite2 esc17 net default aspx name wmsworkshop w 13886 The focus of this meeting will be HB5 Implementation for All Campuses Break 10 30 Michelle Hilton State Initiatives 10 40 Heather Blount CTE Update 10 45 Greg Reeves GT AA ELA Update 10 50 Kristin Whittenburg Curriculum Update 11 00 Jerard LaFuente TEKS Resource System Update 11 05 Karen Marshall Math update 11 10 Michelle Sedberry Science update and Gateway resources 11 20 Laura Skeen Student Support 11 25 Student Support Personnel 11 30 12 15 Lunch 12 30 1 15 Breakout Sessions 1 30 2 15 Breakout Sessions Extended Breakout Session 12 30 to 3 00 Making the Grade Grading Practices for Students with Disabilities Rogers Room Cathy Sartain speaks on the dos and don ts of grading practices for students with disabilities How do we as educators hold all students accountable to learning the curriculum but be fair with our grading Cathy Sartain describes the process of how she can help to identify major grading concerns and practice determine solutions and create resources and tools to assist districts 9 30 10 20 Breakout Sessions 504 Update Michelle Hilton Neely Room During this session we will discuss recent questions regarding 504 and how districts can best ensure that 504 procedures are in place eduphoria Update Judy Gore PC Labs 302 304 Judy will update participants on all the latest updates and information regarding eduphoria and Aware Connecting Families with School Tori Mitchell Lecture Hall Connecting families with school has never been more important than it is today Come interact with data around the issue of parent engagement and destroy some myths as well Instructional Coaching Follow Up from Jim Knight s Work Cayce Noble Instructional Coach Lubbock ISD and Ty Duncan Main Hall This work will continue on the presentation done by Thomas Conn last summer centered on Jim Knight s work on Instructional Coaching and his book Unmistakable Impact Cayce Noble is an experience coach and

Evaluation Services Assistive Technology Autism Child Find CRCG Community Resources Coordinating Group Deaf Education Certification Low Incidence Disabilities Multicultural Diverse Learners Non Ed Community Based Support Services Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities PPCD Positive Behavioral Interventions Support Project Psychological Services Speech Language Pathology Transition Services Visual Impairment Blindness Technology Technology Services Distance Learning Email Services eRate Support Internet Access Internet Filtering Interactive TV Network ITV KACE Help Desk Technology Planning Web Hosting This blog is maintained by Ty Duncan Coordinator Accountability and Compliance Services 806 281 5832 Like us on Facebook Follow InstructionalLe Instructional Leaders AIE Conference Presentation Accountability to Responsibility in a STAAR World Sep 22 2013 07 21 00 pm AIE Conference Presentation Click Here to Download AIE Conference Presentation Come see us at 11 30 at the Austin Convention Center on Thursday September 26 2013 View or Post a Comment 0 Formative Assessment Is the Solution for Index 2 Sep 15 2013 07 24 00 pm Index 2 recieved a great deal of spotlight when Commissioner Williams set the passing rate at the 5th percentile Index 2 is an interesting construction because of its weighting of those who exceed the growth measure The state level index 2 construction reveals some interesting points Only about 60 of our students are meeting or exceeding the growth measure in Reading and Math and only about 45 of our students are meeting or exceeding the growth measure in Writing Exceeding progress in Writing is really very difficult it appears The state Index 2 average was a 34 and was brought down because there were simply limited exceeders in Writing There are some crucial things for teachers and leaders to realize for Index 2 success Do You Know Where Students Are Students who are in the Level III range the previous year need to stay in the Level III range We have a new intervention group in Texas and that is those students who are at the top end and teatering on regressing because of lack of engagement or lack of rigor The first step to dealing with Index 2 is simply knowing where the students are on the scale Formative Assessment is Crucial Benchmarking is fine but in a value added world they are simply not responsive enough Coaches for example do not wait until half the games are over to watch the game film We know that formative assessment is right and will give us great results but time is always the problem If we really want to increase those meeting the growth standard we will realize that responsiveness to students and their learning has to increase Leaders trainers and teacher really need to grade less and give more feedback that occurs immediately If time is an issue eliminate something besides feedback as there has to be time for it The Basics of the Accountability Index System September 23 2013 We had a great day last week with area leaders discussing the Index Accountability System We are offering another

not acquire the language they have from a worksheet They acquired it from immersion The challenge before us as educator is to use the academic language naturally and unconsciously Immerse students everyday in the language of the discipline intentionally It is okay to use words they do not know in context It is okay to speak the language in its real world context After all this is the way children learn naturally If we want students to read and write better we have to become relentless in our pursuit of language aquisition View or Post a Comment 0 Accountability 2013 Explained Aug 08 2013 02 11 00 pm Attached is the Powerpoint for Training Cick here for link View or Post a Comment 0 Index System Provides Cursory Look at School Health Aug 03 2013 09 10 00 pm Testing in public schools certainly has recieved its fair share of criticism over the last year It is not our call or place to engage in that debate but rather to implement the policies the state deems as important and that will no doubt impact instruction and our product in Texas We are no doubt in a state of transition in Texas with implementation of HB5 and this new index system that stems from HB3 in the 82nd session This index system itself will need refinement over time to acclimate to the nuances of HB5 but it does have the potential provide a great deal of diagnostic data that allows stakeholders from all arenas to take a cursory look at the health of the school Accountability data alone doth not a school make but it certainly helps identify areas of need One of the things this index system will do is help see broad ares where schools can see improvement Research will undoubtedly always be ahead of systems that can be legislated I do believe this system however gets closer to measuring what we know is right at least until research sprints out again The public is going to get the first glimpse of the index system this week Index 1 is a simple pass or fail indicator TEA has proposed leaving Index I standard at current Phase I levels and that will help this indicator as its own standard gets rigorous Index 2 will be the leading reason some schools are designated as needs improvement The research has indicated formative assessment is the key regardless of accountability Index 2 demands we increase formative assessment and ensure students get better everyday Benchmarking has been reduced by law but in the end will be less effective in a growth based world as they are not responsive enough in a growth world The commissioner set the standards very low here in the beginning in Index 2 Exceeded growth appears to be a vary rare label even for students who we have deemed our best and brightest A cursory look says we have real work to do in ensuring students get better everyday and